


What if Roy didn't get out through heroing

by thatawesomefreak



Category: DCU (Comics), Under the Red Hood
Genre: AU, M/M, roy doesn't know masks Id and isn't a mask
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-25
Updated: 2016-09-25
Packaged: 2018-08-17 05:30:28
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 993
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8132231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatawesomefreak/pseuds/thatawesomefreak





	

The thing about living in Gotham and being a reasonably talented musician is the bats. Not the winged ones that hang out in caves but the human ones that hang out with gargoyles. See Roy had only just moved into a cheap apartment a couple of days ago, he's found out why it was so cheap. Blood stains, knife shaped holes and according to his few neighbours this was where the Red Hood had tried to kill the Joker the first time. Roy figured it couldn't be as bad as when he was working for Oliver Queen, then again at least he had Dinah helping him back then. 

 

As it turns out Red Hood had some sort of attachment to this building as Roy figured out while tuning his guitar on the roof. He hadn't noticed the figure blending into the shadows until a slow clap sounded after he had finished warming up.

"Well it looks like we've got a new citizen." The robotic tune took a moment for Roy to realise it was talking.

The figure moved closer and Roy saw the Red Hood for the first time and boy the rumours weren't far off. Roy tries to compare it with when he met Black Canary for the first time and figured maybe this mask doesn't want to "rock out".

"Did you seriously think it was a good idea to go outside in Gotham, at night." The question sounded more like a statement through the mechanical speaker.

"Uh, I didn't want to wake up anyone inside?" Roy murmurs out fiddling with the unclipped strings he put in last night.

"You're an idiot, play me something."

Roy was taken aback, maybe this couldn't be so different to when he met Canary for the first time.

"um, what are you into? Any requests?"

"Something original." The hiss of the helmet being taken off was drowned out as Roy started the first few notes of one of the songs he wrote for Canary way back when.

"I said something original dumbass, I know what Black Canary's lullaby sounds like. You're from Star then?" The deep human voice startled Roy as a red domino leaned into his face.

"I-uh, yeah, and that was original, I wrote that for her." Roy had a hard time trying to stare back into the white lenses of the Red Hood's domino.

"You mean you worked on songs with the Canary?" He growled out gripping my chin tightly in his hand.

"Yeah." Satisfied with my answer he let go before sitting down in front of him.

"Okay guitar guy, what else've you got?"

-

"Hey Canary didn't think you'd come to check up on me so soon." Roy pointed out eating cereal while perched on the bench not yet having bought chairs. 

"Just checking up on my little drummer boy." She announced leaning on his door frame. 

"I'm all good, accidentally met Red Hood last night." Roy mumbled the last part shovelling cereal into his mouth. 

"What the hell Harper, are you okay? Why didn't you call me?!" Canary is now standing in front of him checking him over for any injuries.

"I'm fine, he didn't touch me. I guess I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. He likes your song by the way, that lullaby we wrote a while ago." 

"Roy I swear somehow you get out of the most dangerous situations so damn easily. Bats has been looking for that crazed mask for weeks now and all of a sudden you say he just sat down and chilled with you over music?!" she's shaking his shoulders now. 

"Please don't tell bats, green arrow was scary enough I don't think I can deal with the embodiment of darkness right now." Her eyes soften as she lets go walking back. 

"You remember you're training right Roy?" A swift nod, "and you've been practising?" Another nod, "okay, you know you can contact me any time. Let's get to what I came here for, you've finished my next song right? And you've been eating well?" 

Roy groans around his mouthful as she pokes through his kitchen finding nothing but cereal and pop tarts. 

-

The next night Roy wakes up to his toaster popping. Grabbing the bat from under his bed he pulls up all the stealth and knock out training canary had taught him. 

"I didn't think anyone would move in here after the whole joker vs red hood fiasco." 

"I didn't think anyone would stock food before furniture, who puts food in before chairs?" 

Roy hears the two voices in the kitchen before contemplating texting Canary. He shoulders a wall into the kitchen not yet memorising the layout of his apartment. He flicks the light on before the people in his kitchen have a chance to move. He's met face to face with the well known yet rarely seen masks, Nightwing and Robin. 

"I swear to god if masks could just leave me alone that would be great." Roy groans sliding down the wall.

"Robin stop." The black and blue figure commands as Robin is reaching for knockout gas. 

"Who are you?" Nightwing asks getting off the bench and kneeling before Roy, Robin standing behind him menacingly. 

"Pass me a pop tart?" Roy sighs.

Two pop tarts and a cup of coffee all around Roy learns that the whole batfamily thing is true and it's not just a bunch of people going by the same brand. Robin and Nightwing learn that Roy writes and composes songs, mainly for the mask community. 

"I've got to tell Spoiler, she's going to be thrilled." Robin exclaims fiddling with something in his ear. 

"Well it was great having breakfast with you Roy, we should do it again sometime when you get chairs." Nightwing chimes climbing out the window after Robin. 

"I need to change the locks and get locks for the windows." Roy mutters trying to recall who owes him at the moment.


End file.
